Trump rule puts new limits on how long Bay Area international students can stay

By Annie Ma , Associated Press and Molly Gibbs, Bay Area News Group

International students at Bay Area universities could be forced to seek federal approval to remain in the country beyond four years under a new Trump administration rule that upends decades of federal policy and has alarmed University of California officials.

The rule, finalized Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security, will limit international students’ initial admission to the length of their academic program or four years, whichever is shorter. Students who need more time will have to apply to extend their stay. The rule, which takes effect in September, also restricts when and how students may change their major or academic program.

Current rules generally allow international students to remain in the United States for as long as it takes to complete their academic programs, provided they maintain their legal status. Many programs, particularly doctoral degrees, take longer than four years by design.

The changes could affect thousands of students in the Bay Area. UC Berkeley alone enrolled 6,879 students on F-1 or J-1 visas in fall 2025, according to the university’s international office.

RELATED: New international student enrollment fell at colleges this fall, report finds

“The University is deeply concerned with the new Department of Homeland Security policy as it significantly changes the way international students have studied in the U.S. for decades,” UC spokesperson Rachel Zaentz said in a statement.

The previous policy, known as “duration of status,” gave international students and scholars the time needed to complete their studies, conduct research, teach, train and work as long as they maintained their legal status, Zaentz said.

The California State University system said Thursday that it was still assessing how the rule would affect its international students, who come from more than 160 countries.

“Like all CSU students, our international students add to the rich diversity, voices and perspectives that enrich our campuses and make the CSU a vibrant and inclusive place to learn and grow,” the system said in a statement.

Higher education leaders have opposed the rule, arguing that it will create additional uncertainty for students and an administrative burden for universities and the federal government.

“This action is unnecessary and duplicative,” said Zuzana Wootson, deputy director of federal policy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a nonprofit organization. “International students are already among the most closely monitored nonimmigrant populations in the U.S. and are subject to rigorous oversight by DHS and academic institutions.”

In a statement, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the rule closes a loophole that international students have exploited by extending their studies.

“By implementing clear, finite limits on these visas, the United States is reclaiming its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders,” Mullin said. “This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home.”

The rule is the latest in a series of Trump administration crackdowns on international students. Last spring, widespread terminations of students’ legal status sent students scrambling to hide or leave the country out of fear they would be detained for being in the U.S. illegally.

RELATED: In the Bay, some international students self-deported before Trump restored their legal status

The federal government also imposed a requirement that visa applicants share their social media handles, subjecting them to increased scrutiny. Travel bans affecting more than a dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia have further limited international students’ ability to obtain visas and enter the United States to attend school.

The rule comes as international student enrollment is declining. The effects have been felt most acutely at schools with small endowments and those that enroll large percentages of international students recruited from abroad. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid and often pay full tuition.

Higher education leaders have warned that growing uncertainty could drive more international students to pursue their education elsewhere, with ripple effects throughout the workforce and economy.

“At a time when global competition for talent is intensifying, this policy sends exactly the wrong message,” Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association representing international education, said in a statement. “It tells the world’s brightest students and scholars that the United States is becoming less welcoming, less predictable, and less committed.”